Ilanz to Bad Vals (driving tour)

Bad Vals (1,248 m/4,095ft; pop. 1,000; Therme Bad Vals and Häuser Zerveila/Tomül, 300b.) is a little spa frequented by holidaymakers, climbers and winter sports enthusiasts (cross-country skiing), with a church of 1669 and the "Stella Maris" spa establishment (spring containing calcium sulfate, 28 deg C/82 deg F; treatment facility, open-air thermal pool with artificial waves, indoor swimming pool). The surrounding area has much of geological, botanical and entomological (butterflies) interest to offer.

Peidenbad (820 m/2,690ft), is in a wooded setting (chalybeate spring). Above, to the right, is the village of Peiden. From here it is 2km/1mi to Uors-Lumnezia.

Piz Tomül (Weissensteinhorn, 2,950 m/9,679ft) can be climbed in 4.5 hours: panoramic views.

Uors-Lumnezia (German Furth), where the road enters the beautiful Vals valley. To the right, on the mountain spur between the two valleys, is the picturesquely situated little village of Surcasti (German Oberkastels). 4km/2mi: St Martin (1,000 m/3,281ft). The road now traverses a magnificent rocky gorge, with the river surging and foaming over waterfalls far below; then through the villages of Lunschania (1,200 m/3,937ft) and Bucarischuna (1,170 m/3,839ft), along a defile and over the Valser Rhein on the Hohen Brücke (High Bridge). From here it is 7km/4mi to Bad Vals.

From Bad Vals the road ascends up the right bank of the valley for another 7.5km/5mi, passing through a number of tunnels, to the artificial lake of Zevreila (1,862 m/6,109ft), beneath the towering bulk of the Zevreiler Horn (2,900 m/9,515ft).